Mystery of ship unearthed at World Trade Center site solved ... by tree rings

July 30, 2014 2:33 PM

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A mystery ship unearthed during construction of the new World Trade Center site isn't so much of a mystery anymore. A new study based on analysis of tree rings in its wood reveals that the ship likely got built in 1773 in Philadelphia—and with the same white oak used to build parts of Independence Hall, Live Science reports.

After the skeleton of the ship was discovered in 2010, researchers excavated it and began the task of unraveling its origins. Scientists matched the ring patterns to those found in both living trees in Philadelphia and to wood samples dating back to the days when the city had a thriving shipbuilding...